Toronto hospital says heat back on after boiler fix, public still asked to avoid ER

A Toronto hospital says it is cancelling all "non-essential" activities after a boiler system failure has cut off its supply of heat and hot water.The main entrance to St Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

December 13, 2024 - 3:05 PM

TORONTO - The heat and hot water are back on at a Toronto hospital after they were cut off due to a boiler system failure Friday morning that caused the cancellation of "non-essential" activities.

Unity Health Toronto says the issue at St. Joseph's Health Centre in the city's west end is expected to be fully resolved in the next two days.

Due to what it called the "emergency situation" in the morning, the hospital cancelled activities across its ambulatory, procedural and surgical areas.

It said in a statement late Friday afternoon that people are still being asked to only attend the emergency department if they are facing a life-threatening emergency.

The hospital said more updates about emergency care would be provided as soon as they are available.

Unity Health said there is a staged process to bring boilers back online and normal operations are expected by the end of the weekend.

"We continue to actively monitor the temperatures and the safety and well-being of our patients, who are our top priority," the late-day statement said.

For non-life-threatening emergencies, the hospital said people should seek urgent care at an alternative hospital or contact their health-care provider for guidance.

The network, which runs two more hospitals in the city, St. Michael's Hospital and Providence Healthcare, said the hospital will contact patients whose appointments are affected over the weekend.

The statement said patients receiving dialysis or chemotherapy treatments are not affected and should still attend their appointments.

Temperatures had been expected to top out at -3 C in Toronto on Friday, before dropping to -13 C overnight.

The hospital said family members are allowed to bring extra clothing and blankets for in-patients, but electronics such as space heaters are not accepted for safety reasons.

Unity Health said it could not accept "generous offers" from community members of blankets and space heaters.

"We are working with our system partners to ensure we have everything we need to keep our patients comfortable," it said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024.